RIT on TV News: President Destler's Bike

WROC-TV (Channel 8) reports on Rochester Institute of Technology President Bill Destler's passion for his electric bike.

Reporter Evan Axelbank: It's unorthodox, but it works.

"Every university president should be a little quirky anyway, just to generate some community interest," said RIT president Bill Destler, who has turned his ordinary bike into a motor bike of sorts.

He designed it himself to run on a back seat battery that can power him twenty miles an hour when he doesn't feel like peddling. We needed a car to catch up to him on campus.

"It takes the intimidation of going out and riding. For most of us, we want to go out and ride, but you know that last hill on the way home is really a dog, but in this case, we ride away, and don't feel the last hill because we know we can get up it," said Destler.

Destler rides eight miles back and forth to work everyday on his bike. He says its a teachable for everyone in the community.

"If we're going to move towards that future, in which we don't assume the world is a sphere of oil, and last time I checked it is not, we're going to have to find more efficient modes of transportation, and this is a step in that direction," said Destler.

The battery bike gets the equivalent of 1,500 miles to the gallon. He built this version earlier this month, so he's not ready for something new yet. One day, he will be.

"Maybe put wings on it or something?"

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Education

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[ctm9851]

Very nice! I passed Dr. Destler a few times on his bike. Pretty cool.